The gloves are off!

It's that time of year again...campaign season. In Oregon, the home of whacked-out politics, we're just about to vote in the primaries. Having said that, there are a couple of things I have to clear up:
1 - When we vote, we have the option to do it while we sit on the futon in front of the television. Or, we have the option to vote at our desks at work. We do NOT have the option to, you know, go to the polls. Yes, Oregonians have taken laziness to a new level. We've gotten rid of polling booths.
2 - My ability to vote is extremely limited as I am, proudly, a non-affiliated voter. So, I have to put my trust in some of the weirdest people in the country to choose who I can vote for in November. Yes, I know, I could register for a party--but that's not me. I'm not a politcal person. I'm a socially conscious person, I'm a patriotic person, but I'm not political.

While Oregonians are horrible at politics (and, for that matter, governing), they take a bizarre glee out of bringing their mean streaks to the surface during come to the surface. As far as I can figure it out, here is who is on the ballot:
Democrat Candidates:

• Some MAN I've never heard of
• Some MAN I've never heard of
• The sitting governor (a man), who while being a very nice person, is a horrible governor and who my very honorable friend boo-ed at a baseball game

Republican Candidates:

• Some MAN I've never heard of
• Some MAN I've never heard of
• Some MAN I've never heard of
• Evil incarnate (the male one) who just barely lost the election in 2002 (Praise the Lord!)
• Some MAN I've heard of only because he's on Evil Incarnate's hit list. Evil Incarnate has accused this person of being a.....Democrat
• Some MAN I've never heard of

Great choices, eh? What can I say, this is Oregon!

The worst part is now the line is drawn. You're either a Republican (pro-life, anti-gay marriage, anti-education) or Democrat (pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, anti-education, anti-my employer). If you are someone like me--someone who lives by their own values but is accepting of other viewpoints--you are SOL.

I was in the midst of the usual grumpiness campaign season brings when I happened upon this article in my favorite newspaper. Well, lookie here...a "political hybrid!" At least that's the term the journalist used. I prefer to think of these "Crunchy Cons" as Americans--people who don't define themselves only by their political leanings and who aren't afraid to cross the lines the pundits have drawn.

I'm not a Crunchy Con--I'm working on the Crunchy part, but I'm not--nor will I ever be--"Conservative." But I applaud those who fall into the Crunchy Con section of the social spectrum.